Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
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226 The <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muhammad</strong><br />
he stumoled and threw me. I thought this was somewhat unusual so<br />
I resorted to the divining arrows again and out came the detestaple "Do<br />
him no harm." But I refused to be put <strong>of</strong>f and rode on in pursuit. Again<br />
my horse stumbled and threw me, and again I tried the arrows with the<br />
same result. I I rode on, and at last as I saw the little band my horse<br />
stumbled with me and its forelegs went into the ground and I fell. Then<br />
as it gOt its legs out <strong>of</strong> the ground smoke arose like a sandstorm. When<br />
33Z I saw that I knew that he was protected against me and would have the<br />
upper hand. I called to them saying who I was and asking them to wait<br />
for me' and that they need have no concern, for no harm would come to<br />
them f;om me. The apostle told Abu Bakr to ask what I wanted and I said,<br />
"Write a document for me which will be a sign between you and me"<br />
and the apostle instructed Abu Bakr to do so.<br />
'He wrote it on a bone, or a piece <strong>of</strong> paper, or a potsherd and threw it to<br />
me and I put it in my quiver and went back. I kept quiet about the whole<br />
affair until when the apostle conquered Mecca and finished with al-Ta'ifand<br />
I:Iunayn I went out to give him the document and I met him in al-Ji'rana. Z<br />
'I got among a squadron <strong>of</strong> the An~ar cavalry and they began to beat<br />
me with their spears, saying, "Be <strong>of</strong>fwith you; what on earth do you want?"<br />
However, I got near to the apostle as he sat on his camel and his shank<br />
in his stirrup looked to me like the trunk <strong>of</strong> a palm-tree. I lifted my hand<br />
with the document, saying what it was and what my name was. He said"It<br />
is a day <strong>of</strong> repaying and goodness. Let him come near." So I approached<br />
him and accepted Islam. Then I remembered something that I wanted<br />
to ask him. All I can remember now is that I said "Stray camels used to<br />
come to my cistern which I kept full for my own camels. Shall I get a<br />
reward for having let them have water?1J "Yes," he said, "for watering<br />
every thirsty creature there is a reward." Then I returned to my people<br />
and brought my alms to the apostle' (274).<br />
Their guide, 'Abdullah b. Arqal, took them below Mecca; then along<br />
333 the shore until he crossed the road below 'Usfan; then below Amaj; then<br />
after passing Qudayd by way <strong>of</strong> al-Kharrar and Thaniyyatu'l-Marra to<br />
.Liqf (275).<br />
He took tbem past the waterhole <strong>of</strong> Liqf, then down to Madlajatu<br />
Ma!)aj (276), then past.Marji\1 Ma!)iij, then down to Marji\1 <strong>of</strong>.Dhii'l<br />
Ghadwayn (z77), then the valley <strong>of</strong> Dhn Kashr; then by al-Jadajid, then<br />
al-Ajrad, then Dhn Salam <strong>of</strong> the valley <strong>of</strong> A'da', the waterhole <strong>of</strong> Ta'hin,<br />
then by al-'Ababid (278), then by way <strong>of</strong> al-Fiijja (279)' Then he took<br />
them down to al-'Arj; and one <strong>of</strong> their mounts having dropped behind,<br />
a man <strong>of</strong> Aslam, Aus b. I:Iujr by name, took the prophet to Medina on his<br />
camel which was called Ibn al-Rida', sending with him a ,ervant called<br />
I This story is cast in the familiar form <strong>of</strong> the story-teller: the same words are repeated<br />
again and again until the climax is reached. In the translation given above the sense is given<br />
-not the repetitions.<br />
:I A place near Mecca on the road to al-Ta"if.<br />
"<br />
The <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muhammad</strong> 227<br />
.M~S'iid b., Hunayda. From 'Arj the guide took them to Thaniyyatu'l<br />
A Ir~280) to the rIght <strong>of</strong> Rakiiba until he brought them down to the valley<br />
<strong>of</strong> RI m; thence to Quba' to B. 'Amr b. 'Auf on Monday 12th Rabi'u'lawwal<br />
at high noon.'<br />
<strong>Muhammad</strong> b. Ja'far b. al-Zubayr from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr from<br />
'Abdu'I-Ra\1man b. 'Uwaymir b. Sa'ida told me, saying, 'Men <strong>of</strong> my tribe<br />
who were the apostle's companions told me, "When we heard that the<br />
apostle had left Mecca and we were eagerly expecting his arrival we used 334<br />
t~ go out after morning prayers to our lava tract beyond our land to await<br />
hIm. This we did until there was no more shade left and then we went<br />
indoors in the hot season. On the day that the apostle arrived we had sat<br />
as we always had until there being no more shade we went indoors and<br />
then the apostle arrived. The first to see him was a Jew. He had seen what<br />
we were in the habit <strong>of</strong> doing and that we were expecting the arrival <strong>of</strong><br />
the apostle and ?e called out at the top <strong>of</strong> his voice '0 Banu Qayla your<br />
luck has come! So we went out to greet the apostle who was in the<br />
shadow <strong>of</strong> a palm-tree with Abu Bakr who was <strong>of</strong> like age. Now most<br />
<strong>of</strong> us had never see,n the apostle and as the people crowded round him<br />
they did not know him from Abu Bakr until the shade left him and Abu<br />
Bakr got up with his mantle and shielded him from the sun and then we<br />
knew." , ,<br />
The apostle, so they say, stayed with Kulthum b, Hidm brother <strong>of</strong> the<br />
B. 'Amr b. 'Auf, one <strong>of</strong> the B. 'Ubayd. Others say he stayed with Sa'd<br />
b. Khaythama. Those who assert the former say that it was only because he<br />
left Kulthum to go and sit with the men in Sa'd's house (for he was a<br />
?~chel.or and housed the apostle's companions who were bachelors) 'that<br />
It IS sald that he stayed with Sa'd, for his house used to be called the house<br />
<strong>of</strong> the hachelors. But God knows the truth <strong>of</strong> the matter.<br />
Abu .~akr stayed with Khubayb b. IsH, one <strong>of</strong> the B. al-I:Iarith b. al<br />
KhazraJ In al-Sun\1. Some say it was with Kharija b. Zayd b. Abu Zuhayr<br />
brother <strong>of</strong> the B. al-I:Iarith.<br />
'<br />
'Ali stayed in Mecca for three days and nights until he had restored the<br />
deposits whic~ the apostle held. This done he joined the apostle and 335<br />
lodged WIth hIm at Kulthum's house. He stayed in Qubii' only a night or<br />
two. He used to say that in Quba' there was an unmarried Muslim woman<br />
and he noticed that a man used to come to her in the middle <strong>of</strong> the night<br />
and knock on her door; she would come out and he would give her some~<br />
thmg. He felt very suspicious <strong>of</strong> him and asked hel what was the meaning<br />
<strong>of</strong> thiS lllghtly performance as she was a Muslim woman without a husband<br />
She told him that the man was Sahl b. l:Iunayf b. Wahib who knew tha;<br />
she was all alone and he used to break up the idols <strong>of</strong> his tribe at I1-ight and<br />
•<br />
n. I Yet a third possibility is al·Ghiibir, T. 1237, following 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr. Cf Yii<br />
111. 596 and I.H.'s note. . q.<br />
z T.h~s paragraI?h Occurs under the heading'Ibn Hisham said'. But clearly it belongs to<br />
the ongmal narrative, one <strong>of</strong> I.H.'s characteristic interpolations occurring in the middle <strong>of</strong> it.